Ahh yes, another month and we see another MAC collection hit the stores nationwide. It seems to me like MAC Cosmetics are throwing out new releases every few weeks these days, right? They need to calm the hell down as they are making quite a dent on my bank balance. It hurts. I know that they’ll be releasing their Rocky Horror collaboration next month too. Oh lord help me… I have zero willpower. I used to get really excited over limited edition releases from MAC but it seems like they are coming through a bit thick and fast at the minute… Or is that just me? Anyway back to A Novel Romance which was released this week.

So what is this collection all about?

“Fall in lust with A Novel Romance, a colour collection teeming with deep, luscious shades that will leave you feeling overwhelmed with desire. Passion mounts, and these hues fan the flames of your deepest emotions, as an amorous adventure begins. Seduced by a secret lover, eyes lock, shrouded in the lustful, metallic hues and cool blackened purples of our Eye Shadow quads. Get provocative in seductive plum and burgundy Lipstick. Then, play the temptress in come-hither shades of sweet lavender and soft rose gold.
– Taken from the MAC Cosmetics website -

Interesting… Let’s have a look at the lipstick shades, shall we?

Myself – A soft shimmery nude beige with a lustre finish. This isn’t really a groundbreaking shade, is it? However I do like these kind of lustre shades when they are layered over other lipsticks. I think this would look lovely over a nude like Creme Cup or Velvet Teddy, adding another dimension.

A Novel Romance – A light cool dusty pink with a cremesheen finish. I found that this lipstick, like some other cremesheen lipsticks that I’ve tried in the past, had a habit of settling in to fine lines and it applied quite unevenly. I absolutely adore the colour but it did wash me out a little. Some decent preparation will be needed with this one.

Good Kisser – A mid-tone fuchsia with a matte finish. This is a gorgeous colour that would be perfect for when Spring and Summer decide to rear their pretty little heads again next year. It would also make a perfect shade for a night out – bright, vibrant and bold. Plus, it has my favourite finish… Matte.

Yield To Love – A mid-tone rose with a cremesheen finish. Unlike A Novel Romance, this cremesheen lipstick applies really nicely and I adore the shade. To me it appears to be more of a really muted plum shade.

Lingering Kiss – A deep plum red with a matte finish. Ahh now this is more like it. I love me some of those berry and plum tones for the Autumn/Winter months and we are nearly there. My favourite time of year for lipsticks, my favourite kind of shades with my favourite matte finish.

Hearts Aflame – A mid-tone brick red with a matte finish. Did I really need anymore deep and dark red shades in my collection? Probably not but I sure as hell wanted another to add to the roster. Why the hell not? I bloody love them. Similarly to Lingering Kiss, it is an ideal shade for the time of year. I can’t wait to start sporting the darker lips.

So there we have it… What do you think?

I like the mixture of shades but I’m not blown away to be completely honest. I love Hearts Aflame, Lingering Kiss and Yield To Love but I probably could have done without the rest.

Naturally as these are limited edition, they have sold out on the MAC Cosmetics website however they were released online at Debenhams yesterday (bar Yield to Love which I think is still available on the MAC website). Happy shopping!

I am in love with Ellis Faas, as some of you may know & it comes as no surprise that I will be really excited to share with you yet another of the Ellis Faas Product I am Loving!!!

Today I will be talking about the Ellis Faas Concealer & talk to you about how you should apply your concealer to achieve the best results & to keep your makeup looking Fresh!

I am using the Ellis Faas – Concealer in S201- LIGHT / FAIR

Here are the Swatches of the Concealer

|Left| Under Indoor Lighting / |Right| Under Outdoor Lighting

Ellis Faas – Concealer:

Upon Instant application of the Concealer it does not dry up too quickly, & feels Creamy & Light on the Skin. What I love about this Concealer is when you use it alone, it will immediately hide imperfections under the eyes such as, Dark circles, & uneven Skin tone. However, I wouldn’t just use this product to target my under eye region. I’ve used this product to hide pesky outbreaks of spots & uneven areas around my nose & upper lip area! The texture of the Concealer enables you to fully target any imperfection on the skin as contains High Coverage in a light and fluffy liquid.

What I look for in a Concealer?

< A Concealer should Brighten up Tired areas in the Skin.

< To Cover up Blemishes & Dark Circles.

< To be used alone without Foundation to still achieve a Fresh looking face.

The Ellis Faas – Concealer targets all these areas as I’ve mentioned earlier & I believe these are the most important things to look for when selecting a great Concealer!

Howto Apply your Concealer for the Best Results:

To Conceal Dark Circles?

If your aim is to conceal Dark circles it is best to apply the Concealer under the Foundation.

I would follow these steps in order to achieve the best Results:

1) Dotting the Concealer

Use the Concealer pen to apply dots under the eye area! Apply dots from the Inner Corner to the Outer corner of the eye!

2) Blending is Key

Use your Middle finger to ‘TAP’ in the concealer dots under your eye. Making sure the concealer is blended in well.

Do not rub as this will cause many stroke lines to appear under the eye!

3) Concealing other areas

Conceal Other areas (Uneven skin tone / blemishes ) Using the Tap in method & blend in < You can go over the Blemished areas again if you are applying Foundation First!

4) Apply another layer of concealer if you need more coverage.

5) Loose Powder

Conceal everything with a Loose Powder, apply the Loose powder with a Powder Brush!!!

& Then you will have Brighter & Fresher looking Skin!

To Conceal Blemishes / Spots?

I would apply the foundation first as it is best to conceal after you’ve applied your Foundation. This is because you will just be wiping away the concealer once you’ve applied the Foundation on top! As you need extra application to cover those pesky areas!

Beauty Tips on Avoiding Potential Concealer Problems:

*** A common myth is to use a concealer that is 1-2 Shades darker than your actual Skin colour. However, fact is this will make you look more tired instead of actually brightening up your face!

I would use a Concealer that is at least 1 shade lighter than your skin tone as you generally want to use a Concealer to hide Blemishes & Dark Circles this will enable a more brighter appearing complexion & will even out your skin tone.

You can use a Darker concealer when you are more tanned that is of a similar shade to your skin tone but make sure to also test out the colour before you purchase!!!

*** Applying your Foundation over your Concealer is just a recipe for disaster & will just waste away a good amount of Concealer!!!

The best thing to do in this case is to Either,

1) Apply your Foundation first, then Apply your Concealer on

Or

2) Some prefer to have less on their faces, especially if you are wearing everyday makeup. My suggestion would be to conceal the areas you need & then apply foundation around the concealed areas. That way you will only have one layer on, instead of many layers.

*** Applying Concealer incorrectly will result in Cake-iness or Strokes

The most important step is to lock in your Concealer with a Setting Powder or Loose powder to help even out your complexion!!!